Photographic-printing process



ll. E. THORNTON. PHOTOGRAPHIYC PRINTING PROCESS. APPLICATION HLE'D JULY 8.1919.

l SQSB'/@P Patented NOV. M, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

y l nmml nuwulflmlmr J. E. THORNTON'.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING PROCESS.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 8,1919.

Lf@ Patented Nom M9 E922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

` mancanti adm@ EN /7 Patented Nov. i4, i922.

unir raras iigldlfl PATENT @FFECE JOHN EDWARD THORNTON, OF WEST HAMPSTEAD, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 JOHN OWDEN OBRIEN, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

PHOTOGRAPHIC-PRINTIN G PROCESS.

Original application led March 21, 1916, Serial No. 85,702. Divided and this application led July 8,

1919. Serial No. 309,429.

To all whom. il' may concern Be it known that I, JOHN EDWARD THORN- TON, a British subject, residing at West Hampstead, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Photographic- Printing Processes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the production of multi-colour kinematograph films? Its object is to provide a process for producing multi-colour or natural-colour heliochrome positive pictures in succession longitudinally of kinematograph films free from the objections of all other known methods which, generally, involve expensive and highly-skilled labour, defective registration, uneven colouring, or lack of transparency, and in some methods a great deal more film to produce them.

In order that the features of this invention and difference between this and other methods shall be clearly understood, I will first briefiy describe the present state of the art.

Multi-colour or natural-colour kinematograph pictures for projection have been produced or suggested by the following methods.

'(lolour systems dependent upon optical re- Two and three colour effects are obtained by exposing a double or triple width film in a special camera having two 0r three lenses, each fitted with a different colour filter, thus producing a set of colour-analyzed or section negatives in series on the film.

From this negative a monochrome (black and white) positive 'is printed upon film of similar width, the pictures being side by side, and the images are then caused to superimpose by projection upon a screen, through a similar optical apparatus of two or three lenses fitted with other similar colour filters, by which the section colour images are combined to form a reconstructed picture in colours upon the screen.

. The objections to this system are that the positive requires much more film to produce it than a monochrome picture, twice as much for two-colour and three times for threecolour; and it cannot be shown in the ordinary monochrome projector, which is found 1n every picture theatre and takes only single width film, but requires instead a special projector. But the greatest objection of all is the one of parallax or lens-displacement. This necessitates the camera lenses being axially adjusted for objects in different planes. and therefore exact corresponding adjustment of the projection lenses during exhibition of the film.

, Multi-lens system for single-widthl films with inwgcs in succession.

Single-lens system with prisms 0r reflectors for rm/lltior single-width films.

In other modifications of this system either prisms or reflectors or both in combination, together with colour screens, have been used to enable the primary image to be obtained from onestandpoint through one lens, such primary image being then split up` in the camera by prisms or reflectors or both, to form side by side colour-sectional images on the multi-width film, or one above the other on the multi-length single-width'film.

Whilst this overcomes the defect of parallax, it involves great loss of lightthrough the prisms or mirrors, and in the present state of knowledge it is exceedingly difiicult or almost imposslble to make a colour emulsion sufficiently rapid to enable ample exposure to be obtained in making the original or camera negatives.

Single-lens system with alternating colouranalysis.

To overcome these objections another syslens. Thus one sectional picture negative is.

taken through the red filter and the next throu h the green, the same orderbeing preservedf throughout the length of film negative.

From this a monochrome positive is made, which is exhibited by means of a projector having correspondingly moving colour filters, and thus a series of red and green section images are projected upon the screen in rapid alternating succession, and the resulting image is a colour effect; not a complete superimposed-colour picture but two alternately projected colour images of red and green, which arel combined in the eye of the observer by the law of persistence of vision as a complete coloured picture.

One objection to this system is the subjectdisplacement (movement). With stationary or slowly moving subjects this is not objectionable, but with Erapidly moving subjects each phase of motion or each completeA picture is represented as two parts in two different positions, -producing Lan unsatisfac tory and distressing picture upon projection.

The other objection to this system is the high speed of movement of the'filin-both in taking of the negative and in projection of the positive. For the negative it means that only half the 'exposure is obtainable, and for projection it means a greatly increased amount of light is necessary.

When this system is extended to threecolour these difficulties arestill `further increased and render it impracticable. This will be understoodl when it is pointed out vthat the exposure and projection speed for black and white film is 16 pictures per second; for the side-by-side two or three colour it is the same; and for the alternating system it is 32 per second for two-colour and 4:8 per second for three-colour.

. The difficulties of taking 16 monochrome pictures per second are sufiiciently consider-v able, especially in dull weather. For colour these difficulties are very much greater owing to the reduced light reaching the sen-- sitive film through the colour filters, and

also to the insensitiveness of film to 'some' of the coloured rays, more particularly the red. It will therefore be obvious that any system which allows less exposure to be given, owlng to necessary increase in film 5 movement, means insufficient exposure except `in cases o f the most favourable conditions of light and subject.

Colour system luwz'ng all the colours selfcontained n the film.

ferent colours. This filter or screen may be for two-colour, three-colour or even more. Such multi-colour screen (or filter) is then coated with a panchromatic emulsion (that is, one sensitive to all coloured light rays) The film is exposed in any ordinary single-width camera, at a speed of 16 pictures per second, the exposures being made with the film reversed so that the light passes first through the colour filter or screen before reaching the sensitive layer.

The film is developed in the ordinary way, subjected to a reversing bath, exposed to light, re-developed, fixed, washed, and dried, and thereu on yields a series of positives in colours. T isis dueto the fact that a negative image is produced upon the sensitive opaque in others. This negative image acts as a cut-out or mask, allowing light to pass through the transparent (or negative) portions, and enabling sufiicient of the colour dots to be Lseen toproduce a positive image by transmitted light. The other coloured dots are blocked out by the photographic image or mask. From such a film reproductions can be similarly made for projection purposes.

One objection to this system is the great opacity of the finished picture film, which can only pass about 33 per cent. of the light because about 66 per cent. of its area is blocked out b the mask.

The other o jection arises from the screen pattern or grain, .which is painfully visible when the picture is highly magnified during projection. 4. j

`Forthese last two reasons it has been found that the best/forms of colour pictures for projection purposes are those produced by what is known as the superimposed method,- in- Which the film is built up by printing in the several different colours, one upon another, from colour-section negatives that are taken by the multi-lens system or by the single-lens lalternating system.

The advantages of such a film is its high degree of transparency owingto absence of cut-out mask, and freedom from grain or pattern owing to absence of multi-colour-` lso lens-system, and (movement) in the single-lens alternating system. i

These disadvantages render the superimposed t pe of film as a product which does not rea ize everything to be desired.

It has further been proposed to'take a screen-plate camera original film, reproduce therefrom three colour section negatives by photographing' through subtractive colour filters on a tr1ple width film, and finally producing from such negativesthree positives in monochrome on a triple width film which are separately projected'illuminated in colourand optically'superimposed upon the viewing screen.

ccording to my invention I use the following features in Acombinatiom- (l). A multi-colour screen type of film for making "the original or .camera pictures to obtain the three or other number of colours -through one lens from the same point of view.

(2). A set of clichs comprising analyzed negative or positive reproductions made from such original-a separate one for each colour or shade-and all made of fulltone character (i. e. with the picture covering the whole area), by spreading the screen grain, dots, lines or other pattern during the process of reproduction.

(3). A superimposed type of film for the final positivel for exhibition purposes, having the successive pictures thereon arranged longitudinally of the film on which three or other number of prints free from the original screen pattern or gram) are superimposed-each in a different colour or shadepeach being printed from a separate full-tone clich by any suitable process.

The advantages secured as the result of this invention are as follows 'z- Empos'ure.

The original or camera records are taken at 16 pictures per second, and therefore suf'- ficient exposure is obtalned -under normal Y conditions of lightin instead of being limited to abnormally avourable conditions. This is secured by Vusing multi-colourscreen film for making the orlgmal records.

Image displacement.

The faults of lens displacement (parallax) and subject displacement (movement), which have hitherto been unavoidable when the positives were required to be of uthe highly-trans'parent superimposed-printed type, are abolished by using multiscolour-screen film for the original and transposing to the superimposed system for the final positive.

Screen pattern.

I The faults of screen pattern in the origmal or camera record are ellminated from subject displacement the final positive by the system of using intermediate clichs, from which the screen pattern is obliterated and a full-tone result secured.

Transparency. rlhe fault of low-transparency or opacity of lmage common to all multi-colour-screen systems and to the original camera pictures u sed 1n ythis invention consequent upon a light obsouring mask, is eliminated from the final positive by use of full-tonae analyzed clichs and superimposed printing processes which enable the highest degree of transparency to be secured in the final posi'- tive.

Range of 'colours'.

directly) in a different shade or tone ofthe f original colour from which it was analyzed.

Incidentally other advantages are obtained, more particularly as to printing methods.

The printing processes hitherto known and employable are lengthy, expensive, and difficult to carry through upon a manufacturing scale. Among the best known meth- 10( ods by way of example, may be mentioned the following The positive film is sensitized, printed` developed, and d ved for each different colour, the whole operations being re eated as many times as there are colours, or instance three times for a three-colour film. .The sensitive emulsion may be a gelatinosilver one, and the image after development is converted, by lengthy elaborate operations, into one formed of dye which replaces the silver. Or the silver image may with diiiiculty be toned to a colour approximating to the desired colour.

Or the sensitive medium may be bichromated gelatine, which is developed after printing by dyeing up, such process being known as the pine-type process.

0r the sensitlve medium may be a bichro mated gelatine emulsion'containing the re- 120 quisite colour, dye or pigment within itself before printlng, known as the carbon process,

Some 'of these methods require about twenty-seven separate processes or operations to produce one three-colour print, and should any of them fail from defective manipulation the entire work is rendered useless. Moreover, many of them involve considerable personalA labour and high 13o degree of skill, and .therefore cannot be done by machinery,.so that the exact matching of colours and balancing of 'intensities by the printing and developing processes depends largely upon the'personal equation for its success.y The method which I have described in my application Serial No. 85,702 of making the several colour printings by' photomechanical means has the effect of sweeping away all these difficulties, and reducin the twent -seven operations to three, whic are entire y mechanical, and can, by means of coupled-up machines, be reduced to one'coi'nbined mechanical operation.

Should a higher quality of photographic image be desired than this photo-mechanical process will give, I have also described in my co-pending application Serial Number 309,- 373, filed July 8, 1919, how one print (for example the blue) may be printed by photochemical means (such as cyanotype or toned silver, or carbon, or pinatype) which will yield a very sharp, clear, transparent image A1n blue, upon which are 'superimposed further images such as red and yellew by photomechanical printing.

I am in accordance with this invention able to produce a series of reconstructed kinematograph images cheaply, without showing the pattern of the original screen film, without mask to reduce the transparency, without lens-displacement, and without sub'ect-displacement.

Multi-coiour-screen photography is to be defined for the purpose of the present invention as the method described under the heading Screen plate photography in an article commencing on p. 468 of Cassells Cyclopaedia of Photography, published in the year-1912, also in Farbenphotographie mit Farbraster Platten, by Dr. Mebes, published in 1911 by Fernbach of -Bunzlau.

I take original camera pictures in ordinary manner in succession longitudinally of the film upon a sensitized film preparedv with colour lines or dots in any of the ways known as screen plate colour photography,

, through va single lens or objective, and a negative or positive is produced by theordinary photographic methods used for such colour photograph such resulting picture being' hereafter re erred to as the original pictre film. I

From this original picture film yof the multi-colour-screen type I prepare' by reproduction a set of analyzed clichs, either of negative or positive character, according to requirements of the subsequent-printing process, one separate single-colour reproduction from each corresponding colour of the multi-colour original, and in the process of reproduction I obliterate the dot; line or screen pattern of the original from the re'- produced analyzed clich so that it is formed with full-tone screenless images free from pattern and extending over the whole area.

The colours of the original are analyzed or separated out for the reproduced clichs Yand the screen patternis obliterated by any of the followin methods, some of which are old and wel known for ordinary (or non-kinematographic) photography.

Where the original picture film is taken upon a multi-colour-screen film, composed of parallel coloured lines (for example red, green, and blue,.yyhen there are three colours, and blue-green and orange-red when there are two colours), in regularsequence over the picture area each screen through which the clichs are prepared comprises opaque lines with transparenty spaces, each opaque line being in the case of a-three colour system of such a width as to cover two colour lines on the original picture film, while the next adjacent transparentspace leaves uncovered or unmasked the third colour-line on the original, one colour element of the original picture film being thus unmasked and visible throughout say for instance the red lines. A contact or camera impression is now made on the sensitive surface preferably a surface 'that is specially sensitive to the red which will involve the red lines, but this impression or image will be imperfect asonly covering one third the area of the sensitive surface. To remedy this and completely cover the whole area of the sensitive surface there must be twoappropriate shiftings of the screen and the original on the one hand or `of the sensitive surface on the other hand, so that the impression line is repeated twice on the blank part of the sensitive surface, and thus the sensitivey surface is filled or completely covered with one elemental picture of the trichrome system.' The appropriate shiftings are as follows The original and the line screen which isf in' contact therewith, andiwhih masksftwo lines ,out of three of the original, are together advanced in a direction normal to the lines and to a degree or equal to the width o-f one original colour line, or to express it otherwise, e ual to the width of a transparent space o the masking screen.A

An exposure being now made, one half of the blank space on the sensitive surface is covered and by another similar movetrnent of the original and the masking screen conjointly and a third exposure the whole of the sensitive surface becomes covered and an image is obtained of one, colour element of the ori inal picture film. In the case of an origina on a wo colour system, the masking screen must have equal lines and spaces, and furtherbut one shi/ft is required. Alternatively the sensitive surface una be similarly moved two steps, each step eing the width of a'line as depicted thereon; an exposure being made after each shift. One

lcolour element.having been thus analyzed.

out or depicted on a separate clich, the two remaining colour-elements are analyzed out in a similar manner each on a Separate clich. These separate analyzed clichs may be `used each to produce lother printing clichs or rinting belts as described. in application gerial No. 85,702.

Thus from the original screen plate picture film are obtained the desired number (say three) single colour printing clichs or belts, each representing or corresponding to one colour section or element of the "original picture, and of either negative or y tion of the several clichs app positive character as desired.

If the above described process of three part reproduction (or alternatively two part reproduction) be carried out with strict exactness each reproduction will be a smooth and even picture without any line eiit'ect, but in mactlce some lines may partially overlap an` others may partially miss thus producing an irregular lined efect. To minimize this defect two courses lare available one being to use a masking screen the broad opaque lines of which are somewhat vignetted or weakened at the edges, and another lcourse is to repeatedly vary or alter the course or direction of the light during exposure as to produce such diffusion as is allowed by the thickness of the images or parts or screen, or this thickness may be supplemented by the interposition between the original and the masking screen of a thin film of Celluloid or the like.

When the ycolour screen in the original picture' lm is composed of slightly curved lines of equal width the above escribed method of analyzing out each elemental colour in the production of the several clichs will apply.

. When the colour screen in the original picture film is composed of or plotted out in complex eometrie pattern of lines of unequal with or4 of lntermingled lines and squares or rhomboids, as for example, such screens as are shown by Figures II, III, V and 'Vl of Tafel of Dr. Mebes book, mentioned above, the method of repeatedly shifting the masking screen in the preparaies less completely and recourse should be had to extension of the area of illumination by repeatedly altering or varying the course or direction of the light during exposure'.

en the 'colour screen in the original icture film is composed of random or mixed gots of colour such as produced by coloured grains of starch or gelatine, an intermediate masking screen is not required in producing the several clichs but for-producing eac clich a colour filter is inter-posedA which will (as in an Ordinar case of, three colour work) absorb two of t e colours and permit only one colour to pass and' be impressed upon the clich. During printing, to obtain an extension of each starch grain or colour unit to eliminate the ori lnal screen grain, the light may be shifte such' for instance as around a line normal to the middle point of the original. A distance piece of thin transparent lilm is preferably interposed between the original picture film and the clich to allow the diffusion of light. lThis transparent film may be of corrugated or crimdped Celluloid formed by flowing the on to a finely grooved or lined plate. It should be understood that the colour screens and the general procedure should be in accord with the general principles, methods and instructions in standard works on three part or multiple part heliochromy', among which works may be mentioned Three C'olour Photography by Mon. Hubl, translated by Klein and published by Penrose & Co.

In preparing the clichs of the several individual elemental colours two or more of such clichs may be made from each, one lightly exposed for the dense parts and .the other fully exposed for the lighter tones.

B making superlmposed prints from each ofy these clichs in succession a longer scale of gradation is obtained and desirable or special effects for harmonizing harshness orl other defects becomes practicable. 0r one of such Vclichs may be used directly or indirectly for printing say a light shade or tone of blue or a greenish blue.; and another for printing a deep blue or a purple blue, to glve better eHect to the colours in the picture. This mode of operation is regarded as of special importance in relation to originals produced by the two-colour process.

ln this way 6 or 9 colours or printings can 'be obtained from a'three colour original and 4 or 6 colours or printings from a'two colour original.

The original picture film is perforated in the ordinary wa and the intermediate analyzed clichs, t e photo-mechanical printing clichs belts, and the final lm to be printed, are also perforated to correspond, so that registration for each may be accurately eected by means of registering pins on the printing apparatus which engage the several perforations in exact register. If the film is to. be printed by a photo-mechanical process the analyzed clichs become merely intermediate means for produclng photo-mechanical clichs or printin belts, which are prepared for example y the methods described in my application Serial No. 85702. The machinery to be used for makin the prints is -of any known form suitab e for the particular printing process adopted.

` respective clichs for the projection of three-color pictures;

Figures 5a, 6a and 7a represent diagrammatically sections through the clichs represented in Figures 5, 6 and 7 respectively;

Figures 8, 9 and 10 show dia -rammatically and in section the mode o printing upon a printing belt from each of the clinohs;

Figures'll, 12 and 13 show diagrammatically and in section the mode of printing the final kinematograph film in different colors from the different clichs, and f Figure 14 is a view of the final-kinematograph film printed in three-colors.

By referring to Figure 1, it will be observed that the original picture film l is produced by exposing a suitably sensitized surface 2 carried by an appropriate base 3,

through the camera lens 4 and behind al multi-.color screen 5. The original picture film 1 is then-used to produce the intermediate clichs A, B andv C which may'correspond respectively with the red, blue and green portions of the images. The original -picture film is placed in contact with a suitably sensitized surface 6 carried by a suitable base 7 and a line screen 8 is place'l in contact with the original picture film 1, the line screen having lines thereon of a width sufficient to cover two lines produced on the original picture film, and While the parts described are positioned as' shown iu Figure 2, an exposure is made through-the line screen and the original picture filni` onto the sensitized surface 6, from a source of light 9. After this exposure has been made, the line screen and the original picture film are again shifted relatively to the sensitized surface 6 for a distance equal to the thickness of one line on the original picture film, whereupon a three-exposure is made upon the sensitized surface 6, the position occupied by the ,parts during this exposure being represented in Figure 4. Each clich corresponding to one color of the picture is made by the method just vdescribed, the parts of the image borne by the different clichs obeing represented in Figures 5, 6 and 7 respectively.

The printing belts from which the `final kinematograph film is produced are made in the-manner shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, the prlnting belt being composed of a suitable base 10 having a sensitive resist 11 thereon and a contact print being made upon the belt successively from each or' the clichs A, B and C, there being one'belt thus produced from each clich for each color of the final picture.

The final kinematograph film is printed from the *printing belts by successive impressions thereon and these impressions may be made upon any suitable flexible base 12, Figure 11 showing the clich A -in position to apply its impression upon the Figure 12 showing the. clich B in position to apply its impression thereon and Figure 13 showing the clich C in position to apply its impression thereon. The final kinematoteeth, pins or other suitable devices to insure correct registration during the exposing' and printing operations.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A process for producing kinematograph heliochrome positive films, bearing series of pictures in natural colours, with the whole of the colours formed upon a single-width perforated film, capable of fitting any ordinary projector designed for monochrome film, and working Withthe same intensity of light; such film being produced without the defects of lens-displacement (parallax) or subject displacement (movement), and also being without visible lcolour-screen pattern or mosaic, and also without a blockingout mask to interfere with transparency; the said process consisting in taking the original heliochrome or camera picture upon a singie-,width multi-colour-screen film; then making therefrom full-tone patternless reproductions in the form of analyzed printing clichs-a separate clich for each colour, shade, or section; preparing printing belts from the respective clich and finally producing the pictures in reconstructed form as colourpositives upon single-width perforated film, by printing from each prepared printing clich in a different colour, the printings being superimposed one upon the other, by any suitable printing process; the clich images being either negative orpositive. according to the printing process adopted; and accurate register being secured by coincident perforations in the original, said analyzed and printing clichs, and the blank film to be printed, and by register pins engaging with such perforations substantially as desired. u

2. The method of production of ikinematograph heliochrome positive films by superimposed prlnting processes from heliochrome originals made by the. multi-colour-s'creen process, by a system of transposition which consists in first making a set of intermediary analyzed single-colour reproduced clichsof full-tone character for each color and shade ofcolor, without dots, lines, mosaic or other pattern, and with the images extending over the whole area of each picture by shifting the screen through which they are reproduced; and producing therefrom printing clichs, to be used for printing the final posit-ive film prints.

3. In the production of heliochrome kinematograph positive films by superimposed printing processes from multi-colour screen originals, the method of obliterating the grams, dots, lines, mosaic, or other pattern from the final positivewhich comprises reproducing therefrom through screens intermediate clichs from which such pattern is deleted during the process of making Such intermediate clichs by shifting the screen as often as required.

4. A complete kinematograph heliochrome positive lm of the superimposed type, containing a plurality of layers of ink of different colours, modified colours, and shades exceeding those in the original camera heliochrome picture film, substantially as described.

5. The herein described process of forming a plurality of heliochromatic positive pictures longitudinally ofthe film upon continuous kinematographic films, each picture being a complete heliochrome, which process comprises taking the original picture film lby the multi-color screen plate method through a vsingle lens, longitudinally of the film, analyzing out the elements of each heliochrome original picture by the interposition of line screens, shifting the line screens ,dur-

ing the process, and printing from said elements, serving as printing belts, multi-color superimposed pictures in succession longitudina-lly of continuous positive films. l

6. Multi-color kinematographfilms having the pictures in succession longitudinally thereon, comprisin a transparent perforated base and a plura ity of superimposed imthe original picture film through a'screen onto a sensitized surface, and moving the screen and printing a second impresslon, and so on for each color, to produce clichs of each separate color without screen markings.

8. The herein described method of producing multi-color kinematograph films, which comprises photographing the original pictures in successionA longitudinally of the film and upon a multi-color screen film, producing from this original picture film a plurality of intermediate clichs, each in a single color and each differing from the other by printing from the orlginal lpicture film onto a sensitized surface through a screen and moving such screen during the printing process to obliterate the screen markings of the original picture film, preparing printing clichs from the intermediate clichs, and finally printing the kinematograph film from each of the printing cliches in succession, one impression superimposed on another.

In testimony whereof have hereunto set my hand in presence 'of two subscribing 'witnesses.

- JOHN EDWARD THORNTON.

Witnesses:

J.'OWDEN 'OBmmn W. J. A. NoRswArHY. 

